INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — An accused drunk driver was arrested after two witnesses reported a silver Ford Mustang driving recklessly in the IHOP parking lot in the wee hours of Friday morning and crashing into the restaurant.
Authorities responded to the scene at State Road 60 near Interstate 95, noted that wood frame pieces from the eatery were part of the debris left from the crash, and ultimately tracked down the suspect Mustang in the nearby Knights Inn parking lot.
The Mustang had pieces of word frame sticking out of the grill and had sustained front-end damage, according to the arrest report.
The Sheriff’s Office arrested Justin Gonzalez, 27, of St. Cloud, Fla. He faces charges of leaving a scene involving injury, reckless driving and driving under the influence with property damage or injury. Gonzalez was released from the county jail on $15,000 bond.
Witnesses called authorities around midnight. One woman reported that she had to get out of the way of the speeding Mustang, which had been driving up and down the parking lot at a high rate of speed. She told investigators that the Mustang was “squealing” its tires.
Another witness told authorities that the Mustang was driving in circles – “donuts” – in the parking lot before hearing a loud noise from the rear of the building.
When she went outside to investigate, she saw damage to the building and the Mustang driving into the Knights Inn portion of the parking lot.
A witness said she believed the driver, whom she got a look at as he was peeling through the parking lot, was staying with a group of guys who had booked several rooms at the inn.
Authorities found the Mustang and walked over to the pool area and asked those gathered there if they knew the driver of the Mustang. They pointed out the room where Gonzalez was staying, according to the arrest report.
Gonzalez failed various field sobriety exercises and declined to speak to investigators about the property damage, the report states.
